Duel from Crossroads

[tpj1965]

Crossroads is a 1986 cult film inspired by the legend of Robert Johnson. The film was directed by Walter Hill, and featured an original score by Ry Cooder. Starring Ralph Macchio, the film also features renowned guitarist Steve Vai as the devil's guitar player in the climactic guitar duel. From Wikipedia

I was going to put this in the 'Soul/Blues/Funk/Jazz' forum but technically it's not a real blues battle. This was one of those little movies that has some what of a cult following and one that I still watch when it comes on.

Partially Crossroads is a blues version of the old Devil and Daniel Webster story (1937). The character of Willie Brown the blues magician who sold his soul to The Devil for success is based upon the true life character of blues legend Robert Johnson, which the film incorporates into the story. But Crossroads is not so much a fantasy film as it is a contemplation and analysis of the blues itself. It has one of the most exceptionally formulated screenplays in years. ... It is the stuff Oscar-nominations should be made of. Joe Seneca earned minor attention and played parts in several films, most notably The Blob (1988) and A Time to Kill (1996), up until his death in 1996.From Moria

If you like the duel don't look for the soundtrack because for some odd reason they didn't put it on there.

Trivia

The infamous climax cutting head battle scene has been widely popularized over the internet by guitarists who are fans of Steve Vai. [1] Most of the battle is played by Vai, except for Eugene's blues parts at the beginning of the duel which are played by Ry Cooder and can be heard on Vai's album "The Elusive Light and Sound, volume 1 "

Macchio's fingering on the guitar was a studied acting job in itself because he didn't know how to play guitar prior to taking on the part of a guitarist. He received intensive training from classical guitarist William Kanengiser of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet to approximate playing realistically enough to hide that fact respectably well.

When Butler (Steve Vai) finishes his final solo before the classical duel, he ends it with a diminished fifth (flat fifth), an interval that has at times been associated with the Devil.

The classical-influenced piece played by Eugene during the climactic scene is based on Niccolò Paganini's Fifth Caprice.

*Jason Becker playing the Fifth Caprice

There was no classical guitar program at The Juilliard School during the creation of the movie, but has since been made a part of the school.

According to The Dirt this is guitarist Mick Mars favorite movie.

The animated series Metalocalypse's episode 'Bluesklok' parodies Crossroads.

The guitar used by Eugene is a Fender Telecaster.

The guitar used by Jack Butler(Steve Vai) is a Charvel San Dimas.

[Excrement_Cranium]

Love that movie, love that showdown.

Steve Vai rocks.

[DudeAsInCool]

Ry Cooder

[tpj1965]

Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder ~ Feelin' Bad Blues

Edited May 1, 2007 by tpj1965

[bear]

Any music fan worth their salt likes this movie, if only for the music.

The really funny thing is, when Macchio's character gets his first shot of whiskey, and it damn near kills him, and in the next scene, when Gertz leaves him, he's slugging it from the bottle like an old pro.

A great line from this movie is Willie's:

"If you spent as much time with your hands on that gutiar and you do on that girl's ass, you might get good"

Top notch.